Last for boots and shoes.



' L. Q. WHITE. 7

LAST FOR BOOTS AND SHOES.

APPLICATION HLED use. 10. 1914.

Patentd Sept. 7, 1915.

manner well understood.

- WED sm ras rarnnr orrrcn I LORING (52. WHITE, 0F BROGKTQN, MAS$ACH USETEPSA LAST son :eoorrs ANnsrroEs.

rrsaera and shoesa-nd especially boots or shoes provided with a Goodyear welt, and has for its object to provide a last having a removable toepiece, with an inexpensive, strong and efficient coupling mechanism for securing the toe piece in fixed relation to 'thebody portion of the 1ast,;and1whi@h is capable of withstanding substantially great "pressure and strain to which it is subjected in the various processes through which awelted shoe passes in the manufacture of thesame.

The invention further has for its object to provide acouplingmechanism which can be applied to thelast at. a minimum expense anidvina, minimum time. I a

o I These and other .i'eatures of the invention,

will be pointed out. inthe claims at the end of this'specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts insection of one form or construction of "last embodying this invention." Fig. 2, an inverted plan of the front portion of the last shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3, a planbfthedetachable toe portion of the last inverted. Fig. 4', an end elevation of the toe piece looking at the rearvwall thereof. Fig. 5, an

end elevation of'the body .portion looking at the front wall thereof, and Fig. 6,} a section of a modified form, of toe piece.

In, thepresent instance I have'shown one construction or form of lastembodylng the invention, andwhi'chcomprises a bodyportion a composed of two parts 10, 12, which are hinged together and normally kept in their, operative position by a spr ng 13 1n a Thelforepart 12 of the body'portion has detachably secured to it, "by a coupling mechanismaswill be described, a toe piece I). The coupling mechanism herein fshown comprises two members 0,6, which are lo- ,c ated inslots or cavities14, '15, 1n the bottoms of the toe pi'ece'b' and the body portion o 1 1, or otherwise.

a and aresecured to said parts by sorewsltl,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 10, 1914. SerialIq'o. 876,568.

ratemease t. 7, rare.

A last employed in a Goodyear welt shoe usually has to remain in the shoe from five to eight days, and is subjected to severe pressure and strain in some of the processes through which theshoe passes, such for 111- tance as the sole laying, and leveling processes, and while the shoe is passing through these "processes, the lastsiin them are subjected to a pressure of several 'thousandpounds. To enable a coupling mechanism to withstand I this severe pressure, the members c, d, are preferablymade as herein shown.

,The member 0 consists ofa substantially thick metal plate orbar, see Figs. '1, Sandi, from which projects atongue 21 of substantial thickness 'and'located between the upper and lower surfaces of the bar or plate'c,

and is provided with a slot 22 extended 'fromits'front edge, for a purpose as will be described. i V

The member Z consists of a substantially thick rearplateor barhaving forwardly projecting top and bottom arms 24-, 25,

which are separated from each other a dis-' tance approximately equaltto the thickness ofthe tongue 21, so that the latter can be inserted between the arms 24C, 25, and engaged therewith with suflicient friction to enable the toe 'piece'to be securedto the body portion against removalexcept with considerable effort. Provision is made for clamping the arms 24, 25,upon the tongue 21 after the latter hasbeen'inserted between said arms, and for thispurpose a screw orbo'lt 30, passes freely through an opening in the lower arm'25 and engages a threaded opening in the upper arm,the said screw passing through theslot 22 in the tongue when the latter is in its operative position between the arms 24, 25.

By backing oh the screw 30 slightly, I the clamping arms-spring apart or'open up'sufficientlyto permit the tongue21= toibe readily inserted between them bymovementof thetoe piece 6 toward the body portion a, and when the toe piece has been'brought into "its operative-position shown'in Figs.-1 and l 2, the screw 30 is set up so as to draw the arms 24,25, toward each other, and thereby clamp the tongue between themwith' such iorce as to firmly attach the toe piece' to until the screw 80 is released. In" order to the body portion and render it immovable.

end of the body portion a, and the tongue 21 projects beyond the rear face of the toe piece I), so that when the toe piece is attached to the body portion, the projecting parts overlap, and the j oint between said toe piece and body portion is reinforced by metal of suiiicient thickness to withsta'nd the heavy pressure of the sole laying, leveling and other machines employed in the manufacture of bootsand shoes and especially the Goodyear welt boots and shoes. Byoreference to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the joint between the toe piece and body portion of the lastis bridgedbythe thickness of the clamping arms 24, 25, and the tongue 21, whose total thickness is equal or substantially equal to the thickness of the plates or bars 0,03, and when the set screw 30 is set up the arms 24,. 25, and tongue 21 become practically one piece,'and consequently the toe piece Z) isattached'to the body portion a by a metal plate 01 bar of suflicientthickness to withstand the severe pressure referred to.

The cavities 14, 15, in the bottom of the body portion and toe piece are of sufli'cient depth'to receive the coupling members and 1 leave the bottom of the lastsmooth, when purpose each toe piece is provided withthev the parts are in their operative relation shown in Fig. 1. The toe piece Z), being detachable, can be replaced'by other toe pieces or different shapesjor designs, and for this tongue member 0. In Fig.1, I have shown the last as provided. with a toe piece of-one design or shape, and in, Fig. ,6 a toe piece of a different design 1 or shape,-which can be quickly and easily substituted for the toe piece shown in Fig. 1.

In the present instance the member cl is shown as attached to the body portion of the last and the'membe'r ctothe toe piece, but it is not desired 'to limit the invention in this respect as said members may be reversed. 7 I

. It willbe observed that the member attached to the body portion overlaps the toe piece, and the member attached tothe' toe piece overlaps the'body portion, whenthe toe piece is in its operative position with re: 'lation to the body portion, and thatsa d overlapping pieces are secured together in fixed relation, which makes a, strong rigid reinforcementfor the last at the joint bea layer of leather 43 tween the toe piece and bodyportion.

The last may be provided at the joint between the toe piece and body portionwith or other suitable yielding material which is suitably attached to one of said parts. Furthermore :the body portion a may. be ofany suitable usual or desired construction. 7

. Claims.

. a body portion and a toepiece separable ior. boots and shoes comprising *pling said parts together in such manner as pling said parts together in such manner as i to permit the toepiece to be moved bodily in the direction of the length, of the last, and comprising a'member secured to each of said partsand extended beyond the same substantially parallel with the bottom thereof to -overlap the other of said parts, and

'means to'detachably secure said overlapping parts in fixed relation.

3. A; last for boots andshoes'comprising abody portion provided with a cavity in its bottom surface, a toe piece separable from said body portion and provided in itsbottom surface with a cavity which registers with the cavity in the body portion, and

devices located in'said cavities for detach Ti ably coupling the said toe piece to the body portion, the device on each part projecting into the cavity in the other part, to permit the toe piece to be moved bodily inthe di- "7 rection of the length of the'las't. j a

4L. ,A last for boots and shoes comprising a body portion and a toe piece separable therefrom,"and means for 'detachably con pling said parts together in such manner as to permit the toe piece to be moved bodily in the direction of the length of the last and comprising a coupling member secured to the bottom of oneofsaid parts andprovided witharms extended beyond said part and spaced apart at their outer ends and 1 substantially parallel with the bottomof said part, a coupling m'ember'secured to the bottom of the otherof saidvparts and provided with a tongue which extends beyond the end of said other part and betweensaid arms whenthe toe piece is moved bodily toward the body portion to couple the toe piece to the said body portion, and means to secure said arms and tongue in fixed're- I 'lat'ion.

5 A last abody portionand a toe piece separable therefrom, a coupling member secured to the bottom of one .ofsaid parts and pro ends and substantially parallel with the bot for boots and shoes comprising vided'witharmsspaced apart at their-.outen l tom of said part,a coupling member secured to thebottom ofthe. other; of'said p'artsand provided; with a tonguewhich extends be-,

tween said armswhen' thetoe piece is conpied-to the bodyportion, said tongue haviso ing a slot extended from its front edge, and a screw engaging said arms and passing through the said slot to secure said arms and tongue in fixed relation, said screw being accessible from the bottom of the last.

6. A last for bootsand shoes comprising a body portion and a toe piece separable therefrom, a coupling member attached to the bottom of said body portion and projecting beyond the front end thereof, and a cooperating coupling member attached to the bottom of said toe piece and extended beyond the rear end thereof, and means aocessible from the bottom of the last for securing said projecting portions in fixed relation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LORING Q. WHITE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. R. FITCH, H. LORING JENKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

